K Padmanabhaiah, IAS (retired), former home secretary, currently, the government's mediator on the Naga issue.

Maharaj Kumar Rasgotra, IFS (retired), former foreign secretary.

J N Dixit, IFS (retired), former foreign secretary.

Rannen Sen, IFS (retired), member of Prime Minister's Office in Rajiv Gandhi's time; recently retired as high commissioner to the United Kingdom.

M K Narayanan, former director, Intelligence Bureau.

Wajahat Habibullah, serving IAS officer, currently with the Institute of Peace, Washington, DC.

J N Dixit and M K Rasgotra are likely to get plum postings.

Sources say Gandhi is likely to use the services of Naresh Chandra and/or Montek Singh Ahluwalia and/or Moni Malhoutra in the PMO.

She will also have to decide whether the present heads of the Intelligence Bureau, the Research & Analysis Wing (India's external intelligence agency) and the Central Bureau of Investigation should continue.

The IB should not pose a problem since K P Singh, the present director, is due to retire on August 31. It is only a question of waiting for four more months.

The present heads of R&AW and the CBI have at least another year to go.

She may not disturb Uma Shankar Misra, director, CBI. If she does, there could be allegations of her wanting to interfere in the Bofors inquiry.

But there is a big question mark over the continuance of R&AW chief C D Sahay.